University of South Alabama in the fast lane with drag racing club

(Press-Register/G.M. Andrews)Miles, left, and Bobby Lankford, right, pose beside a drag racer, Wednesday, Nov. 25, 2009 in Mobile, Ala. Miles, Bobby's 21-year-old son, is president of the USA Drag Racing Club. MOBILE, Ala. -- The University of South Alabama's newest competitive team got revved up by a research project.

Bobby Lankford, a July graduate in USA's interdisciplinary studies adult degree program, wrote his thesis on the availability and growth of drag racing in the area.

"One of my themes was to start a drag racing club at USA to get students off the street and on the strip," said Lankford, 48, parts manager at Ward International Truck.

A semester later, USA's new Drag Racing Club has grown from 11 to 47 members -- 35 percent of them female, and 90 percent new to the sport, Lankford said.

The club's popularity also landed Lankford a position teaching a drag racing continuing education course at USA, beginning in January.

Vaughan Millner, chairwoman of USA's interdisciplinary studies, said she was glad to see Lankford get validation from his research.

"He analyzed the data, started the club and did an incredible job," Millner said. In the process "he learned research skills and business acumen."

Students had free access to Mobile Dragway in Irvington. Track owner Gary Moore said he waived the fee, hoping that it would give the students something to do on Friday nights and "keep them off the streets."

The club gave Rick Kichler, a 20-year-old USA junior, an opportunity to get back into racing, something he hadn't done since he was 16, he said. A biology/pre-pharmacy major, Kichler said free track access helped students get in all the practice they needed.

USA sophomore nursing student Sierra Montgomery said the club helped her attain a goal she never thought possible.

"The rush is unbelievable," said Montgomery, 20, who reportedly turned heads when she and a friend were the only women at the club's first meeting.

Montgomery said she's "always been into speed and fast cars," and racing was the safest way to experience both. She won a preliminary round in only her second competition but didn't make the finals.

She said she'll try again next semester, driving her 1995 Camaro.

Most students don't have a dragster sitting outside the dorm, Lankford acknowledged. But if they complained, he said, he just asked what they drove to school and went on from there.